The weekly messenger. [volume] (St. Martinsville [i.e. St. Martinville] La.) 1886-1948, 1887-04-23

commonly cold for the time OF year.
It's leaving a warm cabin makes you
| feel it. he said, wishing me pleasant
watch. and the next moment l was up
there alone.
at was a pitch-dark night, and
thick veil of blackness seemed 10 wrap
the ship from stern to stern. There was
no wind and the sea was quiet, the still
ness only broken by the dull, regular
throbbing Of the great engines as they
steadily drove her along. | glanced
ahead and could barely distinguish the
watch forward and then | turned alt
and saw the dim form of the officer in
charge Of the deck leaning against the
port door of the wheel house.
"All was right and began TO pa7e
slowly across the bridge from side to
SIDE. watching the white CLEAN of the
phospharescent water as it raced past
and trailed away into the dark expanse
beh US. remember thinking what
a nutshell this powerful ship was there
in the midst of the boundless ocean, and
how but thin plate of iron was between
the hundreds of souls now sleeping help
less below decks and the grave thou
sands of fathoms down among all tn 3
hideous creatures that live in the sunless
depths. was reused out Of my muslng
, by the voice of the captain, who had
, come up to see if all was right, as he
generally did several times during the
. night. for he was always alive to the
tact that he had q valuable ship and pre-
! cious lives under his care, and nothing
ever made him forget it. l have heard
him say to some gentlemen who pressed
r him to Join them in bottle OF cham
, payne to celebrate the speedy arrival OF
y his vessel off the Irish coast:
. 81 am much obliged to you for the
: kindness which prompts the request, but
E we are nearing land, and this night, OF
: all Others, l must keep cool head and
d clear eye for your sake and my own
> "Well, as l was saying, the captain
!. came alongside and said:
g CLOVIS her head, Mr.. Browne"
q "'W. n. w, a quarter W.. sir, an
4 swered with glimpse at the binnacle.
v "'kig ht it is-keep it so;' he babe mt
i good night, and | watched him go alone
: the deck forward to speak to the watci
Ia on the fok'sel.
"Then l began my walk again, ant
lie my thoughts slipped away home, and
: wondered how my wife and youngster
\, were | lived over again in fancy tn
70 days had spent ashore during my las
,s leave, and then, somehow, memories o
my boyish days crept in.
40 Suddenly a curious sensation cam
q over me aud utterly banished all dream
10 ing. | cannot tell you what caused it
n. but powerful feeling of terror over am
me, and l trembled like palsied oil
st man. a great sense of dread of some
is thing terrible about to happen seized m
or something, l knew not what; and
r. strove against it in vain chung to tn
N bridge rail in front, and tried to pu
IN myself together, and I grew calmer a
o. the low voices of some of the men fol
it ward fell upon my ear.
on 'Thomp on" / called; and tn
lis burly boatswain's mate came towar
I'd me with tie easy roll of a seaman, an
on touching his cap, said
,st "'Did We want me, Mr.. Brown!'"
Everything right - the waite
~ awake q" asked.
" "'Yes, sir; but it's pitch dark, an
n. we can't see five yards ahead. Jim Dir
av on's for'ard'"
,r. "'Take look round YOURSELF I II
piled.
ic- "While the mate was gone, the teri
eer fed feeling seemed to leave me, and
Zip its place an indefnable and hay bI
to powerful impression gained upon me tn
he must do something; but what l cou
ear not make cut. You have no id,
ess of the awful agony l was in, and how
strove to find out what it was that no
he felt impelled to do. Ny brain seemed {
ara fire NV tom nles thrOhhpd nc though RI